In homeroom on Monday, Cambree asked me all about my afternoon with Andrew.

“It was fine,” I said flatly.

“What’s your problem?” she responded.

My problem was that on Saturday night, after the movie with my parents I called her, excited to tell her about my date with Andrew. She was busy, but I could hear tons of voices in the
background on the phone, so I knew she was out with Laurel and Taryn somewhere. I wasn’t angry that she went out with them. I was angry that 1) she didn’t call me back like she said was going to,
and 2) she hung up on me. I also called her twice on Sunday before deciding I wasn’t going to make myself look ridiculous by begging. She would only go back and make fun of me to Laurel and Taryn
anyway.

“Nothing,” I said without turning to face her.

“Bullshit.”

And the bad thing? She probably didn’t even think she’d done anything wrong.

“Sophia.”

If I was being childish, then I was being childish. But I didn’t turn around.

“Sophia, what are you mad about? Was it Andrew? Did something happen with you guys?”

She was that blind.

“No, Cambree, the date was fine,” I told her. “In fact, it was better than fine. It was great. If you’d called me back you might have known that.”

I could tell by the look on her face she knew what I was talking about.

“Oh, Sophia, I’m sorry, I just forgot! Laurel, called, and she wanted to go—”

“Laurel,” I said. “Of course.”

Cambree made a face. “What? Don’t you like her?”

Was she kidding? “Uhm, why?”

“Because she’s really cool.”

The bell, and I stood up, grabbing my back pack. I shrugged, looking at Cambree. “I mean, if you think so.”

“Why don’t you like her?” Cambree asked, following me out of the classroom.

I had so many answers to that question, I decided not to use any of them. Instead, I only said, “Let’s just forget about. How’re you and Ethan?”

Cambree was happy to forget it, too, because she went off on how much fun she’d had with Ethan Friday night, and Saturday. Apparently they’d seen each other Saturday, too.

She was still talking when we walked into the bathroom.

“I mean, he is an amazing kisser, Sophia,” she was saying as she leaned against the sink, lighting a cigarette.

I gasped. “Cambree, what’s the matter with you?”

She took a drag from the cigarette and gave me a look of confusion. “What?”

“You’re going to get in trouble!”

She waved her hand at me and rolled her eyes. “Please. Teachers never come in here. Laurel told me.”

“Sophia, you worry too much. Relax. Maybe you need one.” She held it out. So I took it, with every intention of putting it out and flushing it.

Except the bathroom door swung open just as the cigarette touched my fingers. In front of us, an angry-looking teacher.

I felt my face heat up and my stomach tighten.

“You two, follow me. Now.”

Busted.

Detention. Cambree and I had detention for two weeks straight. We were both first time offenders so they weren’t going to suspend us for the cigarette, but either way, the
principal said we were lucky we weren’t expelled.

I didn’t see myself as lucky. I had never, ever been in trouble in my entire, short, fifteen-year life. And now I had detention for two weeks and I didn’t even do anything. The part that
pissed me off the most was that I was trying to keep Cambree out of trouble, and in the office when I was hearing it, she didn’t bother to tell them the cigarette was hers and not mine.

“Thanks for sticking up for me,” I muttered as we walked out of the office after our sentencing.

She scoffed, as if that was insulting. “Sophia, do you how cool this makes you look?”

I stopped so suddenly she nearly ran into me. “Excuse me?”

“Think about. Everyone knows Sophia Martin is this good girl. You never do anything wrong. Now you just got caught smoking in the bathroom.”

“I didn’t get caught smoking in the bathroom! You did! I got in trouble because of you!”

“Keep it down. Don’t let that get around. This will really boost your reputation. Trust me. Just wait until Andrew hears.”

And then she winked at me, and walked away.

At lunch, I wanted to find Jenna and Mandy. Today was the day to beg for forgiveness, because I wasn’t so sure what the hell was going on with Cambree. I met up with
Derek, first, and had to explain to him I wouldn’t be running with him for a couple of weeks.

“Detention?” he asked. “Wow. That’s so bad ass. Not like you at all. How did that happen.”

“Cambree,” I said.

He raised his eyebrows in question, so I explained.

“I mean, she didn’t even tell them the truth,” I said. “She just sat there, letting me go down with her.”

“Why didn’t you say it wasn’t yours?” he asked.

“Because that’s snitching, Derek,” I muttered. “Come on. You know the rules. You don’t snitch on your best friend.”

“Hmph. Some best friend. You wouldn’t have done that to her.”

“Damn right.”

What a best friend.

Obviously my parents weren’t too happy to have gotten their very first discipline-related phone call from school about me. When I got home, they were ready for
confrontation. I didn’t blame them. Thank God they were ready to ask my side first, though.

We sat at the kitchen table, both of my parents listening intently to my story, because this was serious, they had told me.

When I finished, my mother let out a sigh of relief, her thin hand on her chest. “I knew something was off.”

“I am going to call that school,” my father said angrily, standing up. “They didn’t even give you a chance to explain.”

“Dad, it looked bad,” I admitted. “I had it in my hand. No one’s going to believe me.” I then found myself repeating the words of my principal. “I’m lucky I wasn’t suspended.”

“Cambree didn’t tell them the truth?” my mother asked. She was incredulous. I shook my head. “What’s wrong with that girl?”

Good question.

“I’m just glad you guys believe me,” I said.

“Of course we believe you,” my mother said, sighing. “I just don’t know what this will do to your record.”

“Not as much as it could have done,” I said. “Can I go to my room. I have a lot of homework to do.”

My parents nodded, so I rushed up to my room, passing by Olivia’s open door on the way. She spotted me, and called my name.

“Are you in trouble?” she asked me, appearing at the door. I shook my head. “Oh. I heard mom and dad talking. I thought you were.”

“Well, I’m not. And you shouldn’t be listening in on private conversations anyway.”

She rolled her eyes. “Why are you in such a bad mood?”

“I’m not in a bad mood. I’m tired.”

So I turned, and went into my room. I dropped my backpack by my desk, preparing myself for another long night of homework, and I plopped down in my chair.

I was halfway through my English homework when my cell phone rang. Andrew’s name appeared on the screen. I smiled. The best thing that happened to me all day.

“Hello?”

“Hey, what’s lollapalooza mean?”

I laughed and dropped my pencil. There was no way I was focusing on my homework with Andrew on the other end of the line anyway.

“What?” I asked.

“What does lollapalooza mean?”

“Why don’t you Google it?” I asked him.

“I wanted to se if you know. And don’t Google it. You have five seconds to answer.”

I groaned. For a second, I considered telling him the truth. That Cambree was really the one smoking and I’d only tried to stop her so she wouldn’t get in trouble. But Cambree’s words echoed
through my ears from earlier today.

“Everyone knows Sophia Martin is this good girl. You never do anything wrong.”

Everyone did think of me that way, then.

You can always count on Sophia to stay in the box and never break the rules! That was me, alright.

“Yeah, either way, you’re still lucky to get off with just a detention. Count your blessings.”

“Oh, I am.”

“So, did you get in trouble with your parents?”

I thought about it. I knew I needed to make it sound realistic. “Uhm, yeah, I did. I got this long, uhm, lecture. It was well, uhm, long, and they yelled.”

“That’s all?”

Not believable at all. Even I knew that. “Yeah. They grounded me, too.”

I could make that work. I would be busy enough for the week to feel grounded, anyway.

“That sucks,” he said.

“Yep.”

Way to start a relationship based on lies, Sophia, I told myself.

I was having a hard time keeping up with myself and my newfound bad girl-ness, so I told Andrew I had to go, but I would see him at school tomorrow.

After that, I was fully intent on finishing my homework. As soon as I picked my pencil up, my cell vibrated again.

“You must be joking,” I groaned. I picked it up. It was only a text.

From Cambree.

Sorry I got you in trouble. And about everything else. Really. Forgive me?

Typical, I thought. She always said sorry, and I always forgave her. I didn’t know how to hold a grudge. I thought of my two weeks’ worth of detention I had because of her, and suddenly, I wasn’t
as mad as I should have been. I thought about what Andrew had said on the phone, and I was finding myself a little more thankful for Cambree’s little stunt. After all, no harm was really
done. I wasn’t really in trouble, and I hadn’t really been smoking.

Add Your Comments:

Comments

GGGRRR!! Sophia!!! I want to just appear next to hear and give that girl a good smacking, because she could sure use one! That best friend of hers...is....is just terrible! Why would anyone let their best friend get in such a huge deep pile of poo with them? That's NOT what best friends do! Great story though, if you thought I didn't like it. It is very interesting, just really hope Sophia learns before all this backfires. Keep me updated!

KMU pretty please! Also I spotted something, I'm not sure if you wanted it to say this or not:

Cambree was happy to forget it, too, because she went off on how much fun she’d had with Ethan Friday night, and SATURDAY. Apparently they’d seen each other SATURDAY, too.

AuthorReply

Comment | 36 words

Mon, February 25th, 2013 10:55am

Yeah, because they'd all seen the movie together Friday, but I hadn't mentioned before that Cambree had seen Ethan on Saturday, so this was the first Sophia had heard of it. Does the wording sound bad?

Sophia get your head out the freaking sand! Cambree couldn't care less if she got in trouble. Andrew said she was hot because she smoked... Really are you kidding me?! Why lie Sophia? Why?!!? Bloody hell. Keep me updated :-)

AuthorReply

Comment | 11 words

Mon, February 25th, 2013 12:19pm

Sophia's starting to really develop with this situation. And I will. :)

Why sophia?Why?!,Why did you did forgive her easily?Cambree needs a lesson to learn thing,you need to be hard to get.
Anyway,If I am on her place now I will do the same thing,because I dont want to lose my bestfriend either.But if she cross the boundery,I will definitely toss her out of the window and I will make her life living like a hell.Sorry so harsh,I coudnt control my self.

I got caught reading this and not doing my work, I came up with some lie so all is good. And if I am honest, it was worth it. I loved this chapter. The true colours of the charatcres are coming out. And I like it!
I am really liking this novel, this isnt the stuff I normally read, I always find it boring and the same, but not this one. I am realy liking it. I dont understand why Sophie lied to him tho, that doesnt make sence, but then he thought she was 'hot' because she smoked. I am starting to not like him, there is something off about him. And I hate Cambree right now, she seems slefcentred and doesnt care about Sophia and doesnt care that she got her into troble, and how can Soph just forgiver he like that- I am calling her Soph becuase I cant be bothered to type her name out.
And she still hasnt spoken to her friends, she just needs to see that she is losing them, and they wont forgive her.
Anyway, there is so much I can say about this chapter but Im not so I am going to say I like it, cant wait to see what comes next, and KEEP ME UPDATED. Expresslly now I have cought up!!!

AuthorReply

Comment | 85 words

Tue, February 26th, 2013 7:51am

This is the chapter where you see Sophia start to sort of come out--no she wasn't really smoking, but she was milking it like Cambree told her to when she lied to Andrew because she thought it made her look cool. And OMG, don't get in trouble! Haha. I feel like that at work. I'm always looking over my shoulder, thinking I'm gonna get caught :p
Anyway, I will definitely keep you updated!!! Glad you like it!! I look forward to your comments!!!! They're awesome!! :)

No Sophia should not forgive her and why tell Andrew that after the trying to have sex with her stunt on the second date I would be running the other way forget him focus on school and your real friends.

AuthorReply

Comment | 27 words

Wed, February 27th, 2013 12:11pm

I agree with you! But it's all new and exciting for her and she's lost her 'good head' temporarily.

I can not express to you how disappointed I am in Sophia. She's letting herself get pulled in to the pressures of popularity. The sad part is, she can see the changes in cambree, yet she's about to become the same way. It makes me want to cry to b honest...Lol. I just wish she would have been honest. I feel like we're losing Sophia and that can't happen because she is the only one with some sense...It's heart breaking. :(

Still reading,
~Z

AuthorReply

Comment | 25 words

Mon, March 18th, 2013 12:16pm

Im glad you are still reading!!

Yeah I know a lot of my readers are disappointed in her, but I have to keep it interesting ;)

lies and deceptions!! Sophia is going to get herself into trouble with andrew now that he believes she smokes. maybe he thinks she smokes the wackie too!! oh Sophia you have just started a chain reaction of trouble and complicated situations. i love it!! all the more dramas. this story gets more entertaining by the chapter and it's so well thought out ") i'm in this till the end my friend ")